Removable top lift for shoes



June 10, 1930. F. GENTILE ET AL REMOVABLE o? LIFT FOR SHOES Filed June 1929 A TTORNEV v mg being made on Patented June 10, 1930 I UNITED STATES FRANK GENTILE AND FRED MACCAEONE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK amovannn 'ror LIFT son snons Application filed June 6,

Our invention relates to heels for ladies shoes.

The object of our invention is to provide a heel of the type commonly known as a French heel, with a removable lift portion which may be made as a separate article of manufacture, and which when muse 1n the heel serves to strengthen the heel thruout its length.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this application,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational VleW Of a ladys shoe in which our device is indicated in dotted lines in the heel.

Fig. 2 is a sheet of metal such as brass, formed by a die as shown, which is afterward formed by bending to the shape shown in Figure 9.

Fi 3 .is a plan view of the 11ft w1th a sha portion attached thereto.

Fig. 4=is a longitudinal view of the lift and shank and disclosing the side in which the abutting edges of the blank and slot are located.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view thru a portion of the heel, bottom lift, and metal portions of the device.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the heel on line 6-6 of Fi re 5' disclosing theupper end of the lift olding device, the drawan en arged scale. ig. 7 is a vertical view ,of the exterior of the lining or socket portion of our device. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the part shown in Figure 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical view of the shank portion of the device.

A- indicates a ladys shoe having a heel A- of the type above referred to.

The heel A is provided with a deep bore A'-- formed triangular in cross section, and extending nearly to the top of the heel and located therein substantially as shown.=

Fitted firmly into and extending its entire length into the bore A is a metal lining portion B- which serves as a socket for the shank C-- and also serves as a strengthenin column for the heel, preventing it from reaking easily across its nar- 1929. Serial No. 868,748.

rowest section which it crosses. This lining ortion provides a smooth inner surface for rictional engagement with the outer surface of the shank portion 0, and also is provided with an inwardly extending U shaped depression B which serves as a wedge which extends into the slot C of the shank 0- and forces the side walls in close frictional engagement, which serves to hold the shank in osition in the socket lining B. 1

fiset from and formedintegral with the shank C- are clampin portlons adapted to pierce the leather li t element D- and bend therein as shown in dotted lines in Figures 4 and 5- to hold the lift to the shank C-, and byaihis construction the clamping portions EE- etc. depend from a laterally extendin flan e portion E which rests a ainst the un er side of the heel adjacent t e bore A and serves as a base-plate which preventsthe shank C from being driven upward above its pre-determined position in the heel. This base plate E" is formed of a number of branch parts, corres onding to the number of clamping points E etc. used in the construction, and when it is desired to. remove the shank C together with the lift D, a knife edge may be insertedbetween the lift and shoe hee to rest over the plate or projection E and servingas a wed e, the lift ma be easily removed together w1th the shank I By making the shank and lining triangular in cross section, the shank cannotrotate 1n the heel and the parts are more cheaply and easily made.

It will be observed that the shank portion C and lining portion B- together with the lift, may be made as a complete article of manufacture incondition to be placed on a heel that has been provided with a bore such as A and that the width of the shank is about one third that of the heel thru its narrow width portion, and that the shank is four or five times as long as its width, there by'providing a large frictional area between the wood of the heel and the outer sides of the lining for strong frictional engagement and also a large area of frictional contact 4 between theouter wall of the shank C and inner wall of the lining B, and that the edge portions of the walls forming the slot C' are pressed outward to bind the shank 5 O firmly in contact with the lining sleeve when in its proper position therein.

It will be also observed that there are but two pieces which co-act to provide the device, and that bein made of sheet metal, they are j light in weig t, cheap to make, and strong and durable for the purpose desi ed. The lift D ma be made 0 leather or rubber, or of any ot er material suitable for the purpose.

Having thus described our invention we claim as new:

A shoe heel of the character described having a bore of irregular cross section extend ing overhalf the len h thereof, a sleeve fitted in said bore an extending substantially the length thereof and having "a projecting portion extending toward the centre thereof to serve as a wedge, and a shank portion fitted in said sleeve and having its upper end slotted to engage said projecting portion of the sleeve and expand the shank, and means carried by said shank portion adapted to hold a lift to the bottom end of the heel.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

-FRAN K GEN TILE. FRED MAOCARON E. 

